Hand-Build an Earth Sheltered House For $5,000

Building your own house is nowhere as difficult as most people would think - including me. My grandparents were from the generation that build their
own house, it's still standing, though nobody lives there anymore.

I would imagine that the amount of money spent was insignificant, with the timber coming from their own land and basicly only locks, hinges, windows
and nails being bought from elsewhere.

But in reality I've grown up in such a different world that I would be quite lost if I tried something like that.

It's funny how a few generations ago every man basicly knew how to build the house for their family, now we know of quantum physics, astronomy and
geometry, but for shelter we need banks, mortages and armies of builders.

Sas but true. My father built the house I grew up in. He hired a retired carpenter to help him. Nice, 3 bedroom. Cost $5000 in 1959. Can someone
tell me what the hell happened? I wouldn't even know where to start on something like that. And wouldn't understand the answers if I knew who to
ask. It's not that I'm stupid. It's just that I learned science intstead of practicality.

Sas but true. My father built the house I grew up in. He hired a retired carpenter to help him. Nice, 3 bedroom. Cost $5000 in 1959. Can someone
tell me what the hell happened? I wouldn't even know where to start on something like that. And wouldn't understand the answers if I knew who to
ask. It's not that I'm stupid. It's just that I learned science intstead of practicality.

It is called inflation.

The federal reserve has made a dollar worth about 2 - 3 cents compared
to its 1913 relative worth.

When they created the federal reserve they knew what they were
doing was wrong and were scared so much that they sneaked to
an island to plan its creation.

Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
It's a great idea if you live in a hilly or mountinous area, but where I live the land is as flat as a pancake. I would love to be able to buld
something like this, if nothing else, as a work shop, or a root celler. (Where I live was swamp land untl one of FDR's alphabet soup groups drained
it to make it easier to farm.)

You could do bermed or rammed earth, adobe would also work
for you as well.

Im in the Mid-west. When are you thinking about doing this? How much land are you talking? are there any more takers? I know alot of you have talked
about a "community", and what would be a better place to start...if your down. Keep me posted. This would need planning. I cannot just pack up and
move away on a whim but with a proper agenda its possible.

Originally posted by jsobecky
How do the people supporting these structures expect to go to the bathroom?

What will you use for a bathroom? How will you keep it from polluting the water supply and your gardens?

They used a compost toilet:

A composting toilet is any system that converts human waste into an organic compost and usable soil, through the natural breakdown of organic
matter into its essential minerals. Micro and macro organisms do this over time, working through various stages of oxidation and sometimes localized
pockets of anaerobic breakdown.

Also there waste would not resemble the average US citizens blend of pureed fast foods. I'm assuming they are vegans and eat a lot of what they grow
themselves.

Gross but true,
Peace.

I believe a vegans waste is safe to use in a garden for fertilizer seeing how it has no meat in it, it would be like cow fertilizer I believe. Using
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) waste as fertilizer is very dangerous though, not too far from a town I lived in, in Texas, they tried using human
waste as fertilizer, it killed a lot of people in that town (this was a long, long, time ago, back in the cowboy days), needless to say that town
became a ghost town.

I would'nt think that vegan waste would be harmful if used as fertilizer though, another reason to become vegan lol, put your poop to good use
lol.

Also there waste would not resemble the average US citizens blend of pureed fast foods. I'm assuming they are vegans and eat a lot of what they grow
themselves.

Gross but true,
Peace.

I believe a vegans waste is safe to use in a garden for fertilizer seeing how it has no meat in it, it would be like cow fertilizer I believe. Using
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) waste as fertilizer is very dangerous though, not too far from a town I lived in, in Texas, they tried using human
waste as fertilizer, it killed a lot of people in that town (this was a long, long, time ago, back in the cowboy days), needless to say that town
became a ghost town.

I would'nt think that vegan waste would be harmful if used as fertilizer though, another reason to become vegan lol, put your poop to good use
lol.

Wow! great find!
I personally would not mind living in a home like that. The fact that they had enough for lighting, music and computing is really more than enough for
me. (Though I'd trade in the music and lighting for the ability to be able to cook/have a fridge heh)

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